THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 9 



form is perhaps the best. Those who intend to train should take 

 them in hand in a young state, for it is a difficult affair to get an 

 old plant into shape after being allowed to grow wild for several 

 years. 



The single and double azaleas are grown in precisely the same 

 manner, and in any case the double varieties should, on account of 

 their fine characters, have a conspicuous place in even a small 

 collection. 



BALCONY AND AEEA GARDENING/. 



BY JOHN E. MOLLISON. 



IF late years balcony and area gardening has become very 

 fashionable in some parts of London, and others of our 

 large towns. The art is only in its infancy with us as yet, 

 but by-and-by, instead of being confined to a few streets 

 and squares, we shall see the balconies and windows 

 everywhere draped with verdure and gay with countless flowers of 

 every hue. On the Continent this style of town gardening is carried 

 out to a far greater extent and in greater perfection than with us. 

 Of course our climate will never allow us to compete with our con- 

 tinental neighbours with anything like success in this matter, but 

 still, a very great deal more might be done. A roomy, well arranged 

 balcony, with its little rockery, flower-pots, and boxes, and creeping 

 plants, is one of the best, cheapest, and most enjoyable of town 

 gardens, a never-failing source of pleasure, and a very oasis in the 

 desert of town life for the wearied eye to rest upon. It is surprising 

 how flowers and plants will flourish in a balcony or area garden, if 

 suitable plants be chosen, and well supplied with water, both at the 

 roots and overhead. A daily syringing or overhead watering with 

 a fine rose is one of the necessary attentions to be paid to them in 

 this situation. "Without this daily washing, your balcony or area 

 gardening soon gets dusty and unattractive. In the morning before 

 the sun is very strong is the proper time to do it. In dry warm 

 weather the plants should all be watered at night after sundown. 

 It is very refreshing to them after a hot dusty day, and braces them 

 up for the coming morrow. 



The best way to cultivate flowers on a balcony is by means of 

 boxes, which are preferable to pots, as they do not dry up so soon 

 and the roots of the plants have more nourishment and room to 

 spread. The best sort of soil is the same as that recommended for 

 window boxes. And no lack of useful flowers need be experienced, 

 for nothing looks better on a balcony than Borne of our hardy common 

 flowers which may be bought in the market for a few pence per 

 dozen, such as Wallflowers, Stocks, Arahis, Daisies, Hepaticas, doublo 

 and single Primroses and Polyanthuses, Pansies, Violas, and Forget- 

 me-nots, and Auriculas, not forgetting the splendid, hardy border 



January. 



